1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece with an internal antenna.
2. Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2003-050983 teaches an example of a wearable electronic device with a contactless data communication function. JP-A-2003-050983 more specifically describes a wristwatch that is worn on the user's wrist, and has an internal antenna as a contactless data communication unit. This technology simplifies reading and writing tickets by gate terminals installed at gates through which customers must pass when boarding a train or ski lift, for example.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2011-097431 describes a more recent wearable electronic device such as a wristwatch that can receive GPS (Global Positioning System) signals and determine the current location. JP-A-2011-097431 more particularly relates to the GPS antenna used in an electronic device that is worn on the wrist. Even more specifically, a loop antenna having a dielectric body made from a non-conductive material is disposed inside a wristwatch, and a full-wavelength loop antenna relative to the wavelength of the wireless signals received can be housed inside the wristwatch by using the dielectric for wavelength shortening and reducing the antenna circumference.
With the technology described in JP-A-2011-097431, however, the antenna is covered by a dielectric and is disposed along the periphery of the dial. This increases the size of the bezel disposed around the outside of the antenna part, thus limiting timepiece design and inhibiting the development of different timepiece models.